�that you don�t know what you�ve got till it�s gone?
Another AU story, set in mid-1999.
***
14th May 1999, The Canley Arms
The pub was packed � a little too packed for June Ackland�s liking, and she retreated further into the corner of the booth, clutching her rum and coke. She rubbed a hand across her forehead as if she could rub away the ache that had settled there earlier in the day and seemed to have taken up permanent residence. She looked up as Polly Page and Vicky Hagen returned noisily to their seats.
�I know you said you didn�t want another one, June, but�� Polly proffered another glass of rum and coke. June rolled her eyes, smiled, and shrugged. �Just put it down there.� She sighed.
�You alright, Sarge?� Vicky pulled open a bag of cheese and onion crisps, the smell making June recoil.
�Course.�
�Jim cornered me at the bar, he�s a bit upset.� Polly started.
�Upset!� June coughed. �The man�s got a new job and a promotion. What could he possibly be upset about?�
�He thinks you�re blanking him.�
�Well, you can go right back over to the bar and tell him he�s wrong. I gave him a card and a present, what more can he want?�
�A chat? June, you two have been working together for 16 years, I would have thought��
�Well, that�s where you�re wrong, Pol. We worked together for about two years. Then he went up to CID and I only ever really saw him wandering through the corridors.�
�Yeah, but he�s still your mate��
�Pol�I�m really not in the mood. If Jim wants to talk he can come over here and speak to me, and not rely on a messenger. That�s the problem with the brains department, even when they�re off duty they think they can walk all over uniform officers.�
�But, Jim is a uniform officer now, well, he will be��
�Pol, will you just drop it!� June snapped. �My head hurts, my back hurts, and since Vicky started eating those crisps I�ve been feeling a bit sick. I didn�t even want to�� She stopped. �I need the loo. Shift, will you, Pol?�
***
�Alright!!� Chris Deakin bellowed, and the crowd fell into silence. �We�re here to bid farewell to Jim Carver, who I�m sure you�ll all agree has been a loyal and fine officer for the last�how long has it been Jim?�
�Too bloody long.� Jim quipped, and the crowd laughed.
�Well, I was hoping for something a little more specific but that will do!� Chris was revelling in his role as MC and absorbing the attention. �I�m sure you�ll also agree that Sun Hill�s loss is Wapping�s gain. And Jim, as a little token of our esteem, we�d like to present you with this�� Chris stood back and Don Beech stepped forward with something large, badly wrapped in blue wrapping paper.
Jim looked wary but stepped forward and accepted the present, easily ripping away the wrapping, then dissolving into laughter as the gift turned out to be a two foot cuddly penguin, which was sporting a small plastic police hat, some children�s swimming goggles, and a snorkel.
�Well�what can I say?� Jim grinned, placing the penguin carefully on a chair.
�Thank you would be start.� Chris quipped. �As we all know, Jim�s new job involves things going over his head, and him flailing around aimlessly.� He looked at Jim in silence for a good ten seconds. �Nothing new there then.� There was a huge guffaw that rippled across the pub. Jim rolled his eyes good-naturedly and Don Beech patted him on the back. �In all seriousness, Jim has been a good friend and an exceptional DC and� well, we�re going to miss you.� Chris turned to Jim, genuinely affected.
Jim appeared to reach up and wipe a tear from his cheek. But then he belied that action by grinning broadly � he seemed the picture of happiness. And for good reason � he�d been headhunted for the dive unit in Wapping, who had heard about his exemplary record � and more importantly, his recent qualification as a dive instructor. He was to assist in the training of new recruits to the unit, and of course he would be required to go out on dives with the rest of the squad, supervising them in his new rank as Sergeant.
�Speech!� Don Beech yelled from the back, setting up a chant. Jim flushed and wandered slowly over to where Chris had been standing. He had to wait until a cheer had died down before he could start.
�Well � what more can I say apart from thank you? The gift is�� He paused for a moment, looking for the right word. �Lovely. And all the cards. I�d also like to thank all of you for making the last sixteen years such fun. You�re a really unique lot, and if the boys and girls at Wapping are only half as good as you lot, well � I know I�ll be alright.� He stopped, ran his fingers through his blond hair. �There�s a few people that I want to extend some special thanks to�Guv�� He nodded to Chris. �Don, Rod, Tom�everyone in CID. You�re more than colleagues to me, you�ve been mates. And of course there�s Bob, Matt�Tony and Reg� but especially June.�
Polly nudged June in the ribs and she looked up with a start.
�For those of you that don�t know, June was my puppy walker. She�s been there for me since my first day, and�� He shook his head. �Come here, June, I want to do this properly.� He called.
Polly grinned and made way for June to edge her way out of the booth. The crowd parted to let her through and she blushed as people applauded her.
Jim smiled and reached for her hand. �Sarge�June�like I was saying�you�ve been there for me from day one and I really appreciate everything you�ve done for me. And I�� He coughed, trying to clear a lump from his throat. �I�m really going to miss you.�
June looked up at Jim and smiled, but felt tears burning her eyes.
�As a token of my appreciation, I�ve bought you�this�� Jim pulled a small box out of his pocket. He passed it over to June.
She cracked it open. Inside was a gold necklace, with a pendant which was half a heart, with a zigzag edge where it was broken down the middle. It had two words etched onto it � �Friends� and �Ever�. She looked up at Jim, confused. Then he drew another necklace from his own pocket, on a thicker chain. The pendant was the other side of the heart, and on that was etched �Best� and �For�. He placed his next to hers, and the complete heart read: �Best Friends Forever�.
June sobbed openly, clasping her hand to her mouth. �It�s to make sure you keep in touch.� Jim said. �And that I�ll see you again.�
June gazed up at Jim, unable to speak. He smiled, pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly. �I�ll miss you.� He whispered into her hair, so quietly, so intimately that only she heard it.
***
June was never sure what happened next. The next thing she was truly aware of was sitting in her car, the gold necklace clutched in her fist, sobbing as if her heart would break.
She wasn�t even in the car park of the pub, she was outside her house. She didn�t even remember driving home, she suddenly realised that with four rum and cokes inside her she shouldn�t even have been driving�
She lowered her head to the steering wheel. What had happened in the pub? Had she made a complete fool of herself? What had she said, what had she done?
And more importantly, why was she crying like this?
TO BE CONTINUED�.